By the Numbers
-
Online graduate programs rank among Virginia's best
January 27, 2026 -
#1 in Virginia for best value, salary outcomes, and upward mobility
October 2, 2025 -
#1 in Virginia for upward mobility and top 5 for best value
September 23, 2025 -
Top 50 graduate programs nationally in engineering and public policy
April 8, 2025
Featured Recognition
Highest Tier
Opportunity Colleges and Universities
Higher Access, Higher Earnings
Carnegie Foundation
and American Council on Education
and American Council on Education
Top 50
Best Salaries
Nationally
#1 in Virginia and D.C. Area Publics
#1 in Virginia and D.C. Area Publics
Wall Street Journal
#1
Upward Mobility
in Virginia
#2 in D.C. Area Publics
#2 in D.C. Area Publics
Wall Street Journal
#2
Best Value
in Virginia
#3 in D.C. Area Publics
#3 in D.C. Area Publics
Wall Street Journal
#2
Access
in Virginia
Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax Dollars)
Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax Dollars)
Washington Monthly
Top 5
Undergraduate Programs
in Virginia for Business, Economics, Computer Science, Engineering, Nursing, Psychology
U.S. News & World Report
#1
Online Graduate Programs
in Virginia for Online MBA for Veterans, Business for Veterans, Special Education, Industrial Engineering, Nursing, Nursing for Veterans, Part-time Law, Public Health, Public Affairs and Policy
U.S. News & World Report
Jump to Rankings
* Based on last released rankings data
Wall Street Journal/College Pulse
Top 50
Best Salaries
Nationally
#1 in Virginia and D.C. Area Publics
#1 in Virginia and D.C. Area Publics
Wall Street Journal
#2
Best Value
in Virginia
#3 in D.C. Area Publics
#3 in D.C. Area Publics
Wall Street Journal
#1
Upward Mobility
in Virginia
#2 in D.C. Area Publics
#2 in D.C. Area Publics
Wall Street Journal
See all rankings 4 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Best Salaries | #12 Best in VA and the DMV | #42 |
| Social Mobility | #54 Best in VA | #73 |
| Overall | #32 | #71 |
| Best Value | #68 | #95 |
Washington Business Journal
Overall Ranking
#2 · Best in VA
Washington Monthly
#2
Access
in Virginia
Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax Dollars)
Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax Dollars)
Washington Monthly
Access: Southeast
#9 Public
#16 National
Best Bang for the Buck: Southeast
#12 Public · Best in VA
#16 National · Best in VA
See all rankings 5 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Access: Southeast | #9 | #16 |
| Best Bang for the Buck: Southeast | #12 Best in VA | #16 Best in VA |
| Access (Overall) | #58 | #79 |
| Research (Overall) | #67 | #97 |
| Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars | #96 | #166 |
U.S. News & World Report
Overall Rankings
#1
Online Graduate Programs
in Virginia for Online MBA for Veterans, Business for Veterans, Special Education, Industrial Engineering, Nursing, Nursing for Veterans, Part-time Law, Public Health, Public Affairs and Policy
U.S. News & World Report
Top 5
Undergraduate Programs
in Virginia for Business, Economics, Computer Science, Engineering, Nursing, Psychology
U.S. News & World Report
See all rankings 4 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | #57 | #117 |
| Best Value | #63 | #156 |
| Social Mobility | #64 | #110 |
| Best College for Veterans | #57 | #78 |
Undergraduate Programs
Top 5
Undergraduate Programs
in Virginia for Business, Economics, Computer Science, Engineering, Nursing, Psychology
U.S. News & World Report
Economics
#44 Public
#99 National
Computer Science
#50 Public
#78 National
See all rankings 6 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | #44 | #99 |
| Computer Science | #50 | #78 |
| Business | #55 | #88 |
| Psychology | #59 | #113 |
| Engineering | #61 | #96 |
| Nursing | #76 | #98 |
Graduate Programs
Part-Time Law
#3 Public · Best in VA
#6 National · Best in VA
Homeland Security & Emergency Management
#4 Public · Best in VA
#4 National · Best in VA
International Global Policy & Administration
#4 Public · Best in VA
#15 National · Best in VA
See all rankings 64 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | #50 | #84 |
| Biological Sciences (*2022) | #68 | #119 |
| Biomedical Engineering/Bioengineering | #50 | #89 |
| Business Analytics MBA | #63 | #107 |
| Business/Corporate Law | #22 | #47 |
| Chemistry | #119 | #171 |
| Civil Engineering | #53 | #75 |
| Clinical Psychology | #72 | #100 |
| Clinical Training | #60 | #128 |
| Computer Engineering | #47 | #77 |
| Computer Science | #38 | #65 |
| Constitutional Law | #27 | #54 |
| Contracts/Commercial Law | #27 | #51 |
| Criminal Law | #53 | #109 |
| Criminology (*2021) | #10 Best in VA | #10 Best in VA |
| Dispute Resolution | #35 | #85 |
| Doctor of Nursing Practice | #20 Best in VA | #33 Best in VA |
| Earth Sciences | #89 | #114 |
| Economics (*2025) | #48 | #81 |
| Education | #70 | #84 |
| Electrical/Electronic/Communications Engineering | #47 | #80 |
| Engineering (Overall) | #47 | #76 |
| English (*2025) | #54 | #103 |
| Entrepreneurship MBA | #53 | #85 |
| Environmental Law | #54 | #106 |
| Finance MBA | #55 | #95 |
| Fine Arts | #65 | #106 |
| Healthcare Law | #50 | #104 |
| Healthcare Management | #19 | #35 |
| History (*2025) | #36 | #69 |
| Homeland Security & Emergency Management | #4 Best in VA | #4 Best in VA |
| Industrial/Manufacturing/Systems Engineering | #25 | #35 |
| Information Systems MBA | #32 Best in VA | #59 Best in VA |
| Intellectual Property Law | #8 | #26 |
| International Global Policy & Administration | #4 Best in VA | #15 Best in VA |
| International Law | #52 | #109 |
| International MBA | #19 Best in VA | #38 Best in VA |
| Law (Overall) | #12 | #32 |
| Legal Writing Program | #67 | #147 |
| Management MBA | #28 | #58 |
| Master's in Nursing | #9 Best in VA | #18 Best in VA |
| Mathematics | #63 | #93 |
| MBA Marketing | #59 | #96 |
| Mechanical Engineering | #76 | #115 |
| Most Grads in Federal Clerkships | #9 | #18 |
| Nonprofit Management | #9 Best in VA | #12 Best in VA |
| Part-Time Law | #3 Best in VA | #6 Best in VA |
| Part-Time MBA | #37 | #59 |
| Physics | #75 | #113 |
| Political Science (*2025) | #48 Best in VA | #81 Best in VA |
| Production/Operations MBA | #29 Best in VA | #50 Best in VA |
| Psychology (*2025) | #63 | #107 |
| Public Affairs (Overall) | #23 Best in VA | #36 Best in VA |
| Public Finance and Budgeting | #25 | #31 |
| Public Health | #39 | #63 |
| Public Management and Leadership | #18 Best in VA | #25 Best in VA |
| Public Policy Analysis | #15 Best in VA | #29 Best in VA |
| Real Estate MBA | #35 | #58 |
| Social Work (*2024) | #45 | #67 |
| Sociology (*2025) | #53 | #83 |
| Statistics | #35 | #49 |
| Supply Chain Management MBA | #57 | #87 |
| Tax Law | #42 | #80 |
| Trial Advocacy | #63 | #150 |
Online Programs
#1
Online Graduate Programs
in Virginia for Online MBA for Veterans, Business for Veterans, Special Education, Industrial Engineering, Nursing, Nursing for Veterans, Part-time Law, Public Health, Public Affairs and Policy
U.S. News & World Report
Education (Special Education)
#8 Public
#7 National
See all rankings 14 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Education (Special Education) | #8 | #7 |
| Information Technology for Veterans | #13 Best in the DMV | #19 Best in VA |
| Business for Veterans (Non-MBA) | #14 Best in the DMV | #18 Best in VA |
| Education for Veterans | #18 | #18 |
| Nursing for Veterans | #10 Best in VA | #15 Best in VA |
| Industrial Engineering | #11 | #11 |
| Business (Non-MBA) | #27 | #37 |
| Information Technology | #27 | #39 |
| MBA for Veterans | #31 Best in VA | #35 |
| Engineering for Veterans | #28 | #34 |
| Engineering | #43 | #50 |
| Business (MBA) | #45 | #59 |
| Education | #50 | #50 |
| Nursing | #41 Best in the DMV | #56 Best in VA |
Times Higher Education
Law
#8 Public
#20 National
Social Sciences
#28 Public
#58 National
Psychology
#33 Public
#64 National
See all rankings 12 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Law | #8 | #20 |
| Social Sciences | #28 | #58 |
| Psychology | #33 | #64 |
| Business and Economics | #44 | #69 |
| Medical and Health | #44 | #62 |
| Overall | #47 | #84 |
| Arts and Humanities | #46 | #78 |
| Computer Science | #49 | #76 |
| Education | #57 | #77 |
| Engineering | #61 | #80 |
| Life Sciences | #67 | #89 |
| Physical Sciences | #74 | #97 |
The Princeton Review
Listed Among
Best 391 Colleges
Best Mid-Atlantic
Best Green Colleges
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)
Student Free Speech and Open Inquiry
#21 Public
#26 National
Academic Ranking of World Universities
Law
#6 Public · Best in VA
#18 National · Best in VA
Economics
#13 Public · Best in VA
#32 National · Best in VA
Atmospheric Science
#15 Public · Best in VA
#24 National · Best in VA
See all rankings 21 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Atmospheric Science | #15 Best in VA | #24 Best in VA |
| Biological Sciences | #78 | #118 |
| Business Administration | #53 | #80 |
| Clinical Medicine | #87 | #108 |
| Communication | #50 Best in VA | #66 Best in VA |
| Computer Science and Engineering | #56 | #84 |
| Earth Sciences | #67 | #85 |
| Ecology | #63 | #81 |
| Economics | #13 Best in VA | #32 Best in VA |
| Education | #21 | #53 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | #29 | #48 |
| Environmental Science and Engineering | #29 | #43 |
| Geography | #44 | #60 |
| Law | #6 Best in VA | #18 Best in VA |
| Library and Information Science | #27 | #36 |
| Management | #30 | #45 |
| Mathematics | #53 | #82 |
| Political Sciences | #41 | #74 |
| Psychology | #46 | #73 |
| Public Administration | #22 Best in VA | #29 Best in VA |
| Telecommunication Engineering | #33 | #47 |
EduRank
Entrepreneurship
#1 Public · Best in VA and the DMV
#2 National · Best in VA and the DMV
Intellectual Property and Patent Law
#5 Public · Best in VA
#17 National · Best in VA
Law Enforcement
#5 Public · Best in VA and the DMV
#11 National · Best in VA and the DMV
See all rankings 40 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship | #1 Best in VA and the DMV | #2 Best in VA and the DMV |
| Intellectual Property and Patent Law | #5 Best in VA | #17 Best in VA |
| Law Enforcement | #5 Best in VA and the DMV | #11 Best in VA and the DMV |
| Aviation | #9 Best in VA and the DMV | #12 Best in VA and the DMV |
| Negotiation and Conflict Resolution | #9 Best in VA | #22 Best in VA |
| Political Economy | #11 Best in VA | #25 Best in VA |
| Human Rights Law | #12 Best in VA | #31 Best in VA |
| Software Engineering | #12 | #17 |
| International Law | #13 | #31 |
| Web Design and Development | #13 Best in VA | #19 Best in VA |
| Art History | #15 | #28 |
| UX/UI Design | #15 | #20 |
| Criminology and Criminal Justice | #18 Best in VA | #26 Best in VA |
| Database Administration | #18 Best in VA | #31 Best in VA |
| Early Childhood Education | #18 | #19 |
| Public Policy/Administration | #18 Best in VA | #32 Best in VA |
| Cyber Security | #20 Best in VA | #34 Best in VA |
| Architecture | #21 | #31 |
| Human Resource Management | #21 | #33 |
| Urban and Regional Planning | #23 | #34 |
| International Trade | #24 | #43 |
| Special Education | #25 | #31 |
| Cinematography | #27 Best in VA and the DMV | #40 Best in VA and the DMV |
| International Business | #28 | #49 |
| International Relations and Diplomacy | #27 | #46 |
| Military Science | #30 Best in VA | #46 Best in VA |
| Remote Sensing | #30 | #40 |
| Communications and Public Relations | #33 | #49 |
| Computer Networking | #34 | #55 |
| Data Science | #33 | #52 |
| Graphic Design | #34 | #44 |
| Information Technology | #34 | #48 |
| Hospitality and Hotel Management | #37 | #41 |
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) | #39 | #64 |
| Education Majors | #39 | #55 |
| Computer Engineering | #40 | #60 |
| Robotics | #43 | #71 |
| Radio and TV Broadcasting | #44 Best in VA | #62 Best in VA |
| Broadcast Journalism | #46 Best in VA | #63 Best in VA |
| Overall Ranking | #64 | #96 |
Forbes
Best Colleges
#47 Public
#114 National
Money
America's Best Colleges
4.5/5 Stars
College Factual*
Top Colleges for Veterans (*2021)
#1 Public · Best in VA and the DMV
#1 National · Best in VA and the DMV
Criminal Justice and Corrections Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Public · Best in VA and the DMV
#2 National · Best in VA and the DMV
Homeland Security Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Public · Best in VA and the DMV
#1 National · Best in VA and the DMV
See all rankings 25 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Top Colleges for Veterans (*2021) | #1 Best in VA and the DMV | #1 Best in VA and the DMV |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections Bachelor's Degrees | #1 Best in VA and the DMV | #2 Best in VA and the DMV |
| Homeland Security Bachelor's Degrees | #1 Best in VA and the DMV | #1 Best in VA and the DMV |
| Security Science and Technology Bachelor's Degrees | #2 Best in VA and the DMV | #2 Best in VA and the DMV |
| Business/Commerce (General) Bachelor's Degrees | #3 Best in VA and the DMV | #11 Best in VA and the DMV |
| International Relations and National Security Bachelor's Degrees | #4 | #23 |
| Public Administration Bachelor's Degrees | #4 Best in VA and the DMV | #5 Best in VA and the DMV |
| Liberal Arts/Sciences and Humanities Bachelor's Degrees | #5 Best in VA | #13 Best in VA |
| Visual and Performing Arts (General) Bachelor's Degrees | #5 Best in VA and the DMV | #7 Best in VA and the DMV |
| Writing Studies Bachelor's Degrees | #6 Best in VA | #7 Best in VA |
| Computer Information Systems Bachelor's Degrees | #8 | #17 |
| Writing Studies Best Schools | #8 Best in VA | #12 Best in VA |
| Other Health Professions Bachelor's Degrees | #10 | #17 |
| Accounting Bachelor's Degrees | #11 Best in VA | #24 Best in VA |
| Writing Studies Master's Degrees | #5 Best in VA | #10 Best in VA |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Bachelor's Degrees | #17 Best in VA | #33 Best in VA |
| Psychology (General) Bachelor's Degrees | #21 | #32 |
| Geography and Cartography Bachelor's Degrees | #24 | #31 |
| Public Health Bachelor's Degrees | #26 | #32 |
| Social Work Bachelor's Degrees | #32 | #36 |
| Biology (General) Bachelor's Degrees | #33 | #48 |
| Bachelor's Degree Colleges | #36 | #92 |
| Hospitality Management Bachelor's Degrees | #36 | #44 |
| Special Education Bachelor's Degrees | #14 Best in VA | #18 Best in VA |
| Computer and Information Sciences Bachelor's Degrees | #14 | #37 |
National Science Foundation*
Social Sciences: Total Research Funding
#7 Public · Best in VA and the DMV
#10 National · Best in VA and the DMV
Social Sciences: Federally Funded Research
#19 Public · Best in VA
#24 National · Best in VA
Computer and Information Sciences: Federally Funded Research
#20 Public
#32 National
See all rankings 17 entries
| Program | Public Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences: Total Research Funding | #7 Best in VA and the DMV | #10 Best in VA and the DMV |
| Social Sciences: Federally Funded Research | #19 Best in VA | #24 Best in VA |
| Computer and Information Sciences: Federally Funded Research | #20 | #32 |
| Computer and Information Sciences: Total Research Funding | #27 | #43 |
| Geosciences, Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences: Federally Funded Research | #31 | #40 |
| Engineering: Federally Funded Research | #37 | #57 |
| Geosciences, Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences: Total Research Funding | #44 | #54 |
| Mathematics: Federally Funded Research | #44 | #65 |
| Non-Medical Schools: Total Research Funding | #60 | #86 |
| Psychology: Federally Funded Research | #60 | #91 |
| Mathematics: Total Research Funding | #65 | #89 |
| Non-Science and Engineering: Federally Funded Research | #67 | #101 |
| Federally Funded Research | #75 | #121 |
| Psychology: Total Research Funding | #76 | #109 |
| Total Research Funding | #77 | #117 |
| Non-Science and Engineering: Total Research Funding | #56 | #79 |
| Engineering: Total Research Funding | #56 | #79 |
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